Search for active-sterile neutrino mixing using neutral-current interactions in NOvA

Abstract

We report results from the first search for sterile neutrinos mixing with active neutrinos through a reduction in the rate of neutral-current interactions over a baseline of 810\,km between the NOvA detectors. Analyzing a 14-kton detector equivalent exposure of 6.05$\times$10${}^{20}$ protons-on-target in the NuMI beam at Fermilab, we observe 95 neutral-current candidates at the Far Detector compared with $83.5 \pm 9.7 \mbox{(stat.)} \pm 9.4 \mbox{(syst.)}$ events predicted assuming mixing only occurs between active neutrino species. No evidence for ${\nu }_{\mu }\to {\nu }_s$ transitions is found. Interpreting these results within a 3+1 model, we place constraints on the mixing angles ${\theta }_{24}<20.8^{\circ }$ and ${\theta }_{34}<31.2^{\circ }$ at the 90% C.L. for $0.05e{V}^2\le \Delta m_{41}^2\le 0.5e{V}^2$, the range of mass splittings that produce no significant oscillations over the Near Detector baseline.

arXiv comment8 pages, 4 figures

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